Vent-plug



(No Model.)

W. P. KEENAN. VENT PLUG.

Patented May 24, 1898.

m a m 5 lTED TATESV- PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM P. KEENAN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

VENT- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,399, dated May 24, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. KEENAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vent-Plu gs and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to that type of vent-plugs for drawing beer and other like liquors from barrels, 650., in which an automatically-closing valve closes the passage in said plug during the operation of inserting the plug into the bung-hole of the barrel or keg and keeping said passage sealed until the usual discharge-tube is introduced into the vent-bung passage for the withdrawal of the contents of the barrel or keg; and the object of the present improvement being to provide a simple, durable, and efficient construction and arrangement of the vent-bung parts, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and be more particularly pointed out in the claims. I attain such object by the construction of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal axial section of a vent-bung constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same on line w 00, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like Application filed August 20,1897. Serialll'o. 648,969; (No'modeL) same is screwed into place on the upper end of the body 1.

8 is a coiled spring, of a curved formation, as shown, with one end engaging beneath the valve 6 and the other end attached to the lateral housing 3 by means of a screw 9 or other usual means, the tendency of said spring being to close the valve 6.

10 is a packing-ring having an annular bead 11 to form a seat for the valve 6, such packing-ring being arranged between the head 2 and the body 1 and held in proper position when the head 2 is screwed into place in the upper end of the body 1..

12 is an annular ,packing-rin g for the usual discharge-tube of the vent-plug, which packing-ring is held in place within a shouldered recess in the head 2 by means of a screw-ring 13 and is provided with the usual pendent neck 14, that is adapted to closely hug the discharge-tube when pressure is introduced into the interior of the barrel or keg, and thus prevent any leakage up around the dischargetube.

15 is a horizontal inlet-passage in the lateral housing 3, the outer end of which is provided with a nipple 16 for the attachment of the usual flexible conducting-hose by which air pressure is provided to force out the contents of the barrel or keg. Theinner end of the passage 15 communicates with a vertical passage in which is arranged a downwardly-closing check-valve 17, the upward or opening moveparts in both views.

As represented in the drawings, the ventplug consists of a 'main body portion 1, of a tubular externally-taperin g formation, into the upper end of which screws the beaded or reinforced head 2, that receives the impact of the mallet by which the vent-plug is driven tightly into the bung-hole of a barrel or keg.

3 is a lateral housing at one side of the main body portion 1,that is made tubular, as shown, and provided with a screw-cap 4, as shown, its interior communicating with the interior of the body portion 1 by a passage-way 5.

6 is an upwardly-closing valve having pivotal lugs 7 by which it has pivotal attachment with the main body 1 by resting within opentopped recesses in the side wall thereof, and which is held in place by the head 2 when the ment of which is restricted by the screw-cap 4 of the lateral housing 3. With this construction the inlet of the air under pressure can readily take place, but any retrograde movement of such air-pressure back through the conducting-passages, &c., is entirely prevented.

18 is a vent-valve screwing into the cap 4 and having a pointed end that forms the valve portion proper and seats itself on the outer margin of an inner orifice 19 of said cap. The purpose of this improved arrangement is to provide a simple and convenient means to allow the pressure contained in the barrel or keg to in a gradual manner blow off before the usual discharge-tube is withdrawn, and thus prevent the escape of the same in a gush as such tube is withdrawn.

2. A vent-plug, comprising in combination, I

a main body portion 1, a head portion screwing into the top of the same, a packing-ring 10, having a raised seat 11, said ring being held in place between the head and body portion of the plug, a valve 6, pivoted to the body portion, a hollow lateral housing 3, forming a part of the body portion, and provided with an inlet check-valve, substantially as set forth. 3. A vent-plug, comprising in combination, a main body portion 1, a hollow lateral housing 3, forming part thereof, a cap 4, fitting said housing, a screw-valve 18, arranged in said cap, and a valve 6, controlling the main passage of the plug, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof witness my hand this 5th day of August, 1897.

WILLIAM P. KEENAN. In presence of D. J. OGRADY, FRANK J. MAoKLIN. 

